General purpose document sorting system



July 16, 1963 R. E. LEO

GENERAL Punyos Docuumr som-ING sym 'T Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 31, 1961 mum lNVENTOR. ,9055er 0 wif? ATTORAEY July 16, 1963 R. E. I Eo 3,097,745

GENERAL PURPOSE DOCUMENT SORTING SYSIBI Filed (1ct. 31. 1961 'I Sheets-Sheet 2 NAME oF DRAWER No m ADDRESS 567890 cI'rY s'rA'rE l gnlaon www@ n?. do

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GENERAL PURPOSE DOCUMENT SORTING SYSTEM July 16, 1963 July 16, 1963 n. E. LEO 3,097,745

am PURPOSE 900mm' somma sysma Filed oct. 31, 1961 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 5 3 3 ID-"CSHS 9 Y 's I mw 94 570.5 L Zio July 1s, 1963 R. l'` LEO GENERAL PURPOSE DOCUMENT SRTING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 31, 1961 July 16, 1963 R. E. LEO 3,097,745

GENERAL PURPOSE DOCUMENT soRTING SYSTEM July 15, 1963 R. E. I Eo 3,097,745

GENERAL PURPOSE DOCUMENT somma SYSTEM Filed oct. 31, 1961 7 sheet 'T s 67' e o United States Patent O 3,097,745 GENERAL PURPOSE DUCUlVIENT SORTING SYSTEM Robert E. Leo, Bozeman, Mont., assigner to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 31, 1961, Ser. No. 149,062 6 Claims. (Cl. 209-1115) This invention relates generally to a document sorting system, and more particularly to an improvement in a system for sorting intermixed documents in response to indicia appearing thereon in diffe-rent formats.

While the invention may be employed for various applications, it may be advantageously employed, for eX- ample, to sort bank documents magnetically encoded, such as checks and deposit slips, in accord with the specilications and guides set forth in a Bank Management Publication 147 published by the Bank Management Commission of the American Bankers Association, New York, New York, April 1959, for Automation of Bank Operating Procedures using the Common Machine Language comprising magnetic ink characters as adapted by the American Bankers Association with the concurrence of the major manufacturers of electronic equipment.

The electronic equipments manufactured in the past for sorting magnetically encoded documents were specifically designed for handling documents bearing information in specified formats. Each format conformed to a standard adopted by the American Bankers Association but, as explained more `fully in the aforementioned Bank Management Publication 147, particularly in Part lli at pages 2l to 36, considerable latitude is allowed each bank in arranging the ouais and auxiliary on-us field formats for its own internal application requirements. The onus field is generally defined as .that space between the dollar amount and the transit number printed in a band along the bottom :of a check, referred to as the clear band. The auxiliary on-us field is that space in the clear band to the left of the transit number on documents having sutiicien-t length.

Within the standard ABA format, considerable liexibility is allowed each bank in the on-us and auxiliary crous fields with the result that some banks have had manufactured for them special document sorting systems which are not able to handle interrnixed documents of different formats, such as during off-line sorting of transit documents, particularly if field identification is intimately related to the arrangement of cue symbols employed to define the fields in the different transit documents. Such a special document sorting system of 'the prior art is described in a United States patent application Serial No. 839,836 filed September 14, 1959, by Norman R. Crain et al. and assigned to the assignee of this application.

A general purpose document sorting system must be capable of identifying :data fields on documents without particular regard to the format of the fields on the documents when it is being operated ofi-line. ln the special document sorting system described in the aforesaid application Serial No. 839,836, a particular field is located by counting the number of cue symbols printed upon documents as they are read and sorted. If the documents are transit documents having different arrangements of field-defining cue symbols preceding the particular field, proper sorting of intermixed transit documents is difficult to accomplish.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a system `for sorting intermixed documents with different formats.

Another object is to provide a flexible means for defining fields to be selected for sorting purposes.

Another object is `to provide a exible means for defining a plurality of fields from which a given one may 3,097,745 Patented July 16, 1963 Si be selectively specified as the one to be selected for sorting purposes.

Still another object is to provide a system for identifying a given field specified as the one to be selected for sorting purposes without particular regard to the formats to be encountered in a stack of intermixed documents having different formats.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved in a document sorting system by which documents having up to twelve separate fields may be sorted, each eld consisting of any number of digits up to ten. Pour distinct cue symbols are employed to separate the fields on the documents. Four separate cue counters arc provided to count the distinct cue symbels as ythey are read on a given document. An AND-gate is provided for the purpose of defining and selecting each of as many as twelve distinct fields for sorting purposes and a plurality of AND-gates are provided with each cue counter to decode the cue count configurations of the four counters as the given document is read. A plugboard having hubs connected to the output terminals of the cue-count decoding AND-gates and hubs connected to the input terminals of the field defining and selecting ANDgatcs is provided in order that twelve distinct fields may be selectively defined by appropriate plugboard connections between cue-count decoding AND-.gates and field defining and selecting AND-gates. Twelve pushbutton switches are provided t-o arbitrarily select any one of the twelve fields which may be defined. Each pushfbutton switch is connected to an input terminal of a different one of the field defining and selecting AND-gates. Having defined and selected a given field for sorting documents, when `that field is located, a character-decision AND-gate is partially enabled.

A digit counter, which is reset by each field separating cue symbol is provided to count up to ten digits in each field of a document. Ten digit-count decoding AND- gates are provided, each having an input terminal connected to a different one of ten digit-selecting pushbutton switches. When the digit selected within the field specified for sorting is located, the characterdecision AND-gate is completely enabled and the document being read is sorted in accord with the digit selected. In that manner, any digit of a given document in any one of as many as twelve fields may be selected for sorting purposes without regard to the format once the twelve fields are defined by plugboard connections, thereby providing maximum flexibility in adapting the system `for use in different applications. An embodiment of the present invention in a document sorting system having many improvements is disclosed in an application Serial No. 149,120 filed concurrently herewith on October 31,1961, by Byron F. Burch, Jr., and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

Other embodiments and applications of the invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. l is a schematic diagram of a document sorting system with greater detail as to the mechanical structure thereof;

FIG. 2a illustrates a sample document bearing data comprising magnetic ink characters and FIGS. 2b, 2c and 2d illustrate different data formats which may be encountered on documents;

FIG. 3 is a functional `block diagram of a sorter control unit in accordance with the present invention for the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a timing signal synchronizer;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a first type of cue counter;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a second type of cue counter;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a digit counter;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a cue counting and field selecting section in the sorter control unit of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic selecting section in the system of digit counter of FIG. 5.

GENERAL INFORMATION FIG. 1 illustrates schematically a document sorting system with greater particularity to the mechanical structure of the sorter itself which comprises the mechanical apparatus referred to hereinafter as the sorter by which documents to be sorted `are conveyed from an entry point to pockets 1 to 12 designated the special-sort pocket SSP, pockets Zero to Nine, and `the Reject pocket. The documents are deposited in the pockets in accord with, and in response to, indicia appearing on the documents themselves.

The documents are conveyed through the sorter by endless belts, such as a belt 13, under control of an electronic sorter control unit 21. The operation of the sorter control unit 21 is controlled by a character reader 22 which receives character waveform signals from a transducer 14 that responds to indicia printed on the documents to be sorted.

The control of the sorter by the sorter control unit 21 is effected through a memory device 1S having a plurality of `discs 2 to 11" which operate a plurality of pairs of contacts, one pair for each disc, such as a pair 16 for the disc 2'. These contacts are connected through conductors 30 to 39 to control solenoids 42 to 51, which operate detiectors 62 to 71 in the path of the documents, thereby directing a document into respective pockets 2 to 11 in accord with command signals from the sorter control unit.

A dciiector 61 is `controlled directly over a conductor 29 by the sorter control unit in a manner described in said co-pending application Serial No. 839,836 to deposit documents in the pocket 1 which is referred to as the special-sort pocket SSP since it is used `for special sorting purposes.

The endless belts, such as the belt 13, operate over suitable pulleys, such as a pulley 24, `arranged in any suitable configuration to convey documents, such as a document 23, from one belt to the next in succession until the document meets an open one of the deliectors 61 to 71, which deiiects the document into a pocket, as indicated by a document 25 shown entering the Zero pocket 2, the pocket comprising a space between the moving belt 13 and a plate 26 lightly pressed against the belt 13 in any suitable manner, as by a spring 27. As documents are deposited in the Zero pocket 2, the plate 26 is forced outwardly against the tension of the spring 27. In the event that none of the deliectors 61 to 71 are open, a document conveyed along the line finally engages stationary deliector 72 which causes it to be deposited in the Reject pocket 12.

All of the guide pulleys, such as the pulley 24, are positively driven by means of a synchronous motor 28, which also drives the nine discs (2' to 11') of the memory device 15 `through la common shaft 52. A switch S1 is provided to apply alternating current to the motor 28 and to a relay K1. When the relay K1 is energized, a positive signal RSR is transmitted to the sorter control unit 21 over a conductor 53 to indicate that the sorter is ready to sort documents.

The documents enter the sorter at point 20, after having passed through a sequencing device (not shown) by which their movement and spacing are appropriately synchronized and adjusted with respect to the movement of the sorter pulleys. The entry of a document into the sorter is first detected by a photo-electric cell 57 when diagram of a digit counting and FIG. l utilizing the Cit light produced by a source S8 below the belt is interrupted by the document passing along the belt. To raccomplish that, the belt may comprise a pair of parallel strips with the light beam passing between them. The interruption of the light beam produces a positive signal in a conductor 59 that is amplified by an amplifier 60 `and applied to the character reader 22 to initiate a document reading operation and to the sorter control unit 21 over a line 56 to initiate the generation of synchronizing signals.

Thereafter, the document is transported past a point where the magnetic ink indicia thereon is magnetized by a permanent magnet 55 `and past the transducer 14 which responds to the magnetized indicia to produce signal waveforms having distinct characteristics representative of the characters of which the indicia is composed.

FIG. 2a illustrates one form of a document used in a banking operation which bears indicia used for sorting in accord with the present invention. In such an operation, ordinary commercial checks or deposit slips cornprise the principal classes of documents to be sorted. The document illustrated in FIG. 2n is a check having printed near its lower edge a series of characters which comprise digits or numerals separated into fields by cue symbols. The cue symbols comprise the amount symbols 81 and 82, the on-us symbols 83, 88 and 89, the hyphen symbols 84 and 86, and the transit symbols 85 and 87. These symbols define fields on the check to be used for different purposes.

The first major field is used to specify the dollar amount of the check and is designated the amount field. This field is primarily used when the sorter control unit is operated to transmit data to a computer. Such an operation is referred to hereinafter as an on-line operation.

The next major field following the amount symbol 82 may be used for on-us data specified by the drawee bank for its own internal system applications. It is designated the on-us field and includes in minor fields or sub-fields a transaction code number (346), an account number (4957), and a branch bank number (1238).

The next major field following the first transit symbol 85 has eight numerals corresponding to the drawee banks routing symbol (1234) and transit number (7890) separated into minor fields by a hyphen symbol 86.

The last field following the second on-us" symbol 88 is denominated the auxiliary ori-us field because it may be used by the drawee bank, on documents sufficiently long to accommodate it, for its own internal application requirements.

FIGS. 2b, 2c and 2d illustrate other formats which may be employed on documents of different lengths. It should be noted that an auxiliary on-us field is also present in documents illustrated in FIGS. 2b and 2c. It should be further noted that the amount and transit number fields have the same number of digits in each docunient in conformance with standard American Banliers Association rules, but that the on-us and auxiliary ori-us fieids do not. And finally, it should be noted that the auxiliary on-us field of the sample document of FIG. 2c includes a hyphen symbol 80 to separate the data therein into two `minor fields. In the present embodiment of the invention, as many as four hyphen symbols may be employed to separate data in a given major field into minor fields.

The character reader 22 is capable of distinguishing between all of these different indicia. The transit, amount, on-us and hyphen symbols may be denoted by the respective notations Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 employed to represent the signals produced thereby. For example, in response to the Q4 (hyphen) symbol 84 (FIG 2a), the character reader 22 produces a signal Q4 on the corresponding one of four conductors Q1 to Q4 illustrated in FIG. l. In response to the Ql (transit) symbol 85, the character reader 22 produces a signal Q1 on a different one of the four cue-signal conductors. In response to the Q2 (amount) symbol 81 and Q3 (on us) symbol 83, the character reader produces respective signals Q2 and Q3 on the second and third ones of the four cue-signal conductors.

Similarly, the digits or numerals to 9 which may appear in any of the fields cause the character reader to produce respective signals CDO to CD9 in the corresponding digit-signal conductors CDO to CD9 as illustrated in FIG. 1.

The digit signal conductors CDO to CD9 and the four one-signal conductors Q1 to Q4 are all connected to the sorter control unit 21 to transmit digit and cue signals thereto.

The sorter control unit illustrated in FIG. 3 is provided with two sets of pushbutton switches, one designated Field Selector (KFi to KF12) and the other Digit Selector (KDI to KDIG). By selectively actuating a iield selecting switch corresponding to one of the fields, which is dettned by plugboard programming in accordance with the present invention, the operator causes the system to select for sorting a particular held corresponding to the switch actuated. Similarly, by selectively actuating a digit seiecting switch, the operator may cause the system to respond to the signal produced by the numeral in the selected digit position of the selected field. Thus, for example, if the switches corresponding to the account number sub-field of the on-us field and the number three digit are actuated, the system responds only to the numerals in the third digit position of the account numbers on the documents such as those illustrated in FIGS. 2a to 2d. Considering the document of PIG. 2a, a signal will appear on a corresponding one of output conductors PDI) to PD9 from the sorter control unit, and the check will be deposited in the Nine pocket controlled by the conductor 39 via the memory device 15. As a further example, if the next check read has the numeral 0 in the third digit position of the account number, a pulse will appear on the conductor PDi), and the check will be deposited in the Zero pocket controlled by the conductor 30 via the memory device 15.

The pulses in the output conductors PDI) to PD9 of the sorter control unit 21 operate through the memory device 15 to energize the solenoids 42 to 51 and thereby operate the deflectors 62 to 71 in proper time relation to direct the different documents into the pockets corresponding to the numeral in the third digit of the account number field. In that manner the operator may sort all checks in the different pockets of the sorter, each pocket receiving checks having the same numeral in the digit position selected from the field on which sorting is being accomplished. The Reject pocket receives checks having imperfeet printing, or printing that does not adequately accord with the intended character fonts, and the special-sort pocket SSP receives other checks of special categories as described in the aforesaid copending patent application Serial No. 149,120.

The manner in which the timing of the operation of the deiectors is effected via the memory device is as follows. The timer 15 comprises ten discs 2 to 11', only two of which are shown on the drawing. The discs 2 to i11' are on the common shaft 52 which is driven at such a speed that it makes one complete revolution during the time required for a check to travel the length of the pocket assembly. Each of these ten discs have about their periphery twelve apertures, indicated by circles 74, each aperture containing a pin 75 which normally projects outward on the right side of the disc. Cooperating with each disc is a hammer 76 operated by respective solenoids 90 to 99. These solenoids are connected to the respective output conductors PD() to `PD9 of the sorter control unit 21 via amplifiers.

Upon appearance of a signal in any of the conductors PDO to PD9, a corresponding solenoid 90 to 99 is oper- 6 ated, thereby causing its hammer to advance to the left and driving the associated pin to the left through its disc so that it projects from the disc on the opposite side. The pin 75 in disc 11 is shown in the projecting position as in response to a pulse in the conductor PD9 at the output of the sorter control unit 21.

Upon rotation of the discs 11', the pin 7S engages corresponding contacts 16', causing a circuit to be closed to the corresponding solenoid S1 via the conductor 39. Energization of the solenoid 51 causes the deector 71 to be pivoted for an instant sufficient to admit the check having the numeral 9 in its third digit position of the account number field into the Nine pocket, assuming the third digit in the account number held had been selected for sorting as in the foregoing example.

it will now be observed that had the number 9 been read in the selected digit position of one check and the number 0 or 1, in the selected digit position of the immediately following check, thc lirst check must travel the entire length of the sorter to the deflector 71 before it is deposited in the Niue pocket, whereas the immediately following check must be almost immediately deposited in the Zero or One pocket. Thus, the second check must be deposited in its designated pocket before the first check arrives at the deflector 71.

For this reason the contacts, such as the contacts 16 and 16', associated with discs 2 and 11 are spaced at progressively greater angles .from the hammers, such as the hammer 76, about the periphery of the discs. Thus, the contacts 16 associated with disc 2' are spaced from the associated hammer 76 by a very small angle and are closed shortly after the associated pin has been set by that hammer. On the other hand, the contacts 16' associated with the disc 1i' are spaced about the disc from the associated hammer by nearly 360. Thus, the contacts 16 will be closed at the end of a long interval after the respective pin 75 has been set by its associated hammer. The respective time intervals are so adjusted by the spacing of the contacts about the associated discs that detiectors 61 to 71 are pivoted just in time to admit to the corresponding pockets documents bearing the corresponding numeral in the selected digit position. A given detiector is returned to its normal position after a document has been admitted to the associated pocket and before the arrival of the leading edge of the next document.

In actual practice, the deflectors are preferably driven both in opening and in closing, the action being only initiated, or triggered, by the actuating solenoid. However, for simplicity of illustration, the detiectors are shown as being positively pivoted by the solenoids and returned by the associated springs.

The pulses in the output conductors PDI) to PD9 of the sorter control are accurately timed with respect to the position of the check entering the sorter. This is etected by a timing section which is synchronized by the signals transmitted over the line 59 through the amplifier 60 to a timing section in the sorter control unit Z1 via a line 56.

Although one type of sorter has been illustrated schematically in FIG. 1, it should be understood that other types of sorters may be employed in practicing the present invention.

The character reader 22 may be of the type shown and described inthe Kenneth R. Eldredge Patent No. 3,000,000 issued September l2, 1961. or the Merritt & Steele Patent No. 2,924,812 issued February 9, 1960. Other types of character readers may be employed to practice the present invention. In general, the structure of the character reader operates to provide a character-identifying signal for each character read. As each of the four cue symbols are sequentially read, signals Q1 to Q4 are transmitted to the sorter control unit 21 over respective conductors Q1 to Q4, and as each of the ten digits are sequentially read, singals CDO t-o CD9 are transmitted to the sorter control unit 21 over respective conductors CDO to CD9.

7 SORTER CONTROL SYNCHRONIZATION As noted hereinbefore, the sorter control unit 21 receives a signal from the photocell 57 via the amplifier 60 over a line 56 to synchronize the operation of the sorter control unit with the sorter. That signal, which occurs as the leading edge of a given document approaches the read head 14, triggers a timing chain of monostable multivibrators Y1, Y2 and Y3 (FIG. 3). The trailing edge of the signals derived from the monostable multivibrators in sequence are differentiated to provide positive pulses over conductors CSYl, CSY2 and CSY3 at 10, 80 and 142 milliseconds after a signal on the conductor 56 triggers the first monostable multivibrator Y1.

The signals on conductors CSY1 and CSYZ are applied to a pulse synchronizer 147 in order to derive synchronized signals on conductors CSY1S and CSYZS. The pulse synchronizer illustrated in FIG. 4 comprises a ip-fiop SPS and a monostable multivibrator YSP. When a signal having a duration of l() milliseconds occurs on the conductor SCYl or CSYZ, its trailing edge is differentiated to produce a +6-volt pulse that is transmitted through an OR-gate 393 to an AND-gate 394 which is enabled by a k6-volt signal RSR on the conductor 53 from the relay K1 (FIG. l) when power is being applied to the sorter. It should be noted that all AND and OR-gates applied to the sorter are diode gates designed to be responsive to positive signals. Suitable circuits are described in chapter 13 of Pulse and Digital Circuits, by Millman and Taub, published by McGraw-Hill Book Co. (1956). An inverter 395 is employed to apply a signal from the AND- gate 394 to the set control terminal of the ip-op SPS and to apply an inverted signal to the reset control terminal of the flip-flop SPS. Upon the occurrence of a clock pulse from a source (not shown) which generates clock pulses at 25() kc., the ip-ilop SPS is set.

The positive-going leading edge of the output signal from the flip-hop SPS upon being set triggers the monostable multivibrator YSP which produces a negative signal having a duration of tive milliseconds. Both the ilipop SPS and the monostable multivibrator YSP are connected to an AND-gate 396 to enable it to transmit a synchronized signal over the conductor CSYlS when a positive signal is present on the conductor CSYl and over the conductor CSY2 when a positive signal is present on the conductor CSYZ. It should be noted that since both the Hip-flop SPS and the monostable multivibrator YSP ane clocked, the monostable multivibrator YSP is not triggered until the clock pulse following the clock pulse which sets the ip-op SPS. That assures that the synchronized signal on conductor CSYlS or CSY2S is present for only one clock period of four microseconds.

Some time after the signal on the conductor CSY1 or CSYZ has decayed, a +6volt signal is transmitted from the inverter 395 to the reset control terminal of the ip-ilop SPS so that the next clock pulse to occur will reset the flip-flop SPS. The monostable multivibrator YSP automatically resets after five milliseconds.

The two synchronized signals on the conductors CSYIS and CSYZS are applied to other sections as required. As noted hereinbeflore, the signals on the conductors CSY1S and CSYZS derived from the signals on the respective conductors CSYl and CSY2 are employed throughout the system for timing various functions. The signal on the conductor CSYlS is associated with the time at which reading a document begins and the signal on the conductor CSYZS is associated with the time by which reading a document is completed and transfer of pocket-decision data to the sorter must begin.

SORTER CONTROL The sorter control unit is illustrated schematically in FIG. 3 which shows an encoder 100 that receives signals over the line CDO to CD9 from the character reader 22 (FIG. l) representing respective digits O to 9 read from from a document and converts them to an inverse biquinary code (5, E, The inverse biquinary code signals are transmitted through AND-gates 101 to 104 to flip-flops 105 to 108 which comprise an input register. The bistable state of the flip-ops 105 to 108 corresponds to the values of the signals received over the conductors CDO to CD9 according to the inverse biquinary code in the following table:

At the proper time during the sorting pass of a given document, the content of the input register is transmitted through AND-gates 15S to 158 and OR-gates 161 to 164 to an output register comprising ip-ops to 168 where the pulses are stored according to the biquinary code (5, 4, 2, l). At a later time determined by a synchronizing signal transmitted over a conductor CSY3 to a monostable multivibrator YRO, the content of the output register is decoded by a gated decoder to provide a pocket-decision signal over an appropriate one of the conductors PD() to PD9, thereby to control the deectors 62 to 71 of the sorter (FIG. l) in accord with the plugboard programming to be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 in response to the characters on a document read by the character reader 22.

The timing of the output pulse from the monostable multivibrator YR() is so related to the position of the document in its travel from the entry point 20 to the rst deector 61 of the sorter (FIG. l) as to provide the proper timing for the operation of the deector 61 via an amplifier 78 without the necessity of passing a specialsort pocket decision signal transmitted over the conductor 29 through the memory device. Thus, the deector 61 is actuated directly when the document is to be deposited in the special-sort pocket SSP in response to a special-sort code entered into the input register by means not shown and transferred to the output register. The means for deriving a special-sort pocket decision and for entering the special-sort code into the input register is fully described in the aforesaid copending application filed concurrently herewith; for the purpose of understanding and practicing the present invention, the control means for the specialsort pocket SSP need not be described herein.

The pocket decision signals transmitted over the other conductors are applied to the memory device via arnpliers, such as the signal on the conductor PDO which is transmitted via an amplifier 79, to a solenoid 90. As described hereinbefore, the solenoid 90 actuates the hammer 76 to store a Zero pocket decision signal appearing on the line PD() for later transmittal over a line 30 to the solenoid 42 to actuate the deector 62 in time to cause the document, such as the document 25 illustrated, to be deposited in the Zero pocket.

The operation of the sorter-control unit as illustrated in FIG. 3 may best be understood from a description of the general sequence of events as a given document enters the point 20 (FIG. l) and is read. The photoelectric cell 57 detects the leading edge of the document and transmits a signal over the line 59 through the amplifier 60 to the character reader 22 and over a line 56 to the monostable multivibrator Y1 illustrated in FIG. 3. The trailing edge of the negative going output signal of the monostable multivibrator Y1 which has an unstable time duration of ten milliseconds, is differentiated to derive a positive signal that is transmitted over a line CSYl to the pulse synchronizer 147. That positive signal transmitted over the line CSYI is synchronized by the pulse synchronizer 147 and transmitted as a positive (four microsecond) pulse over the line CSYIS to a cue counting and eld selecting section 110, to reset four cue counters, one for each of the cut symbols Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 read on a given document and to a digit counting and selecting section 111 to reset a counter for counting digits read in a given field on the given document. The four microsecond signal transmitted over the lines CSYlS is also employed to reset a Hip-flop CHN. The ip-ilop CHN will often be referred to hereinafter as the character decision Hip-flop since it responds to the numeral read from a selected digit position in a specified eld for initiating the transmission of a pocket decision corresponding to the numeral read.

The differentiated trailing edge of the negative output signal of the monostable multivibrator Y1 triggers a second monostable multivibrator Y2 which has an unstable period of seventy milliseconds. The trailing edge of the negative output signal from the monostable multivibrator Y2 is differentiated to provide a positive signal which is transmitted over a line CSY2 to the pulse synchronizer 147 which synchronizes it and transmits it as a positive four microsecond pulse over a line CSYZS to the AND-gates S to 158.

While the character decision llip-flop CHN is reset, the AND-gates 101 to 104 are enabled to transmit from the encoder 100 the inverse biquinary codes of the digits read in sequence from a given document in response to signals transmitted over the respective lines CD9 to CD9 to the encoder 100. A plugboard 175 is employed in cooperation with the cue counting and lield selecting section 110 and the digit counting and selecting section 111 to select the field and digit for sorting in accordance with the present invention as more fully described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9.

Referring to the sample document in FIG. 2n, it may be seen that the third digit in the account number field 4957 may be selected for sorting by connecting appropriate cue-count and digit count decoding AND-gates to appropriate eld selecting and digit selecting AND-gates. As the document is read from right to left, the first Q2 (amount) symbol 81 is counted by a Q2 counter in the section 110 after which the ten digits (0000195900) in the amount eld are counted by the digit counter in the section 111. 'Ihe second Q2 (amount) symbol 82 advances the count of the Q1 counter to a count conguration of two,

The signal transmitted by the character reader 22 (FIG. 1) over the line Q2 is transmitted by an OR-gate 171 to the digit counting and selecting section 111 over a line QOR to reset the digit counter therein so that following the Q2 (amount) symbol 82 on the sample document of FIG. 2a, the transaction code digits (346) are counted. When the Q3 (on-us) symbol 83 is read, a signal is transmitted over the line Q3 to the OR-gate 171 to reset the digit counter again. It is also transmitted to the Q3 counter in the cue counting section 110. At that time, of the four cue counters in the cue counting and decoding section 110, the Q1 and Q4 counters are at zero, the Q3 counter is at the count of one and the Q2 counter is at the count of two; by appropriately decoding that unique cue-count contiguration, a signal may be transmitted over a line FLD to an AND-gate 174, thereby indicating that the field selected for sorting has been located.

During the transmission of a signal over the line FLD, as the digits in the account number are read and counted, the digit counter is advanced to the count of three when the .digit 9 is read. By selectively decoding the count conliguration of three, a signal may be transmitted over a line DGT to the AND-gate 174, thereby indicating that the digit selected for sorting has been located. Having found the field and the digit specied, the AND-gate 174 is enabled to transmit a signal to the set control input 10 terminal of the iiip-flop CHN, whereupon the flip-flop CHN is set and the AND-gates Iil to 104 are disabled.

As the digits are read in sequence from the document and signals are transmitted over the lines CDO to CD9, the encoder converts each signal in succession to the inverse biquinary code according to the table set forth hereinbefore and transfers the four-bit codes into the input register such that as each successive digit is read, its inverse biquinary code replaces the code of the previous digit in the input register. When Ythe field and digit selected for sorting has been locatedgthe flip-flop CHN is set as just described, thereby disabling the AND-gates 101 to 104 and locking the inverse biquinary code of the digit selected in the input register.

An on-line, off-line selector is provided to selectively transmit a positive signal over a line MSSI or a line MSSZ to continuously enable either two groups of AND-gates 182 to 185 and 176 to 179 or the group of AND-gates 15S to 158. When the selector 180 is set for on-line operation, a positive signal is transmitted only over the line MSSI so that as the digits are read and encoded by the encoder 100, the inverse biquinary codes of the digits are successively transferred to a computer (not shown). A pocket decision is then made and transmitted by the computer through the groupof AND-gates 176 to 179 and through the OR-gates 161 to 164 to the output register. When the positive signal derived by differentiating the trailing edge of the negative-going signal from the stable multivibrator Y2 recovers from its unstable state and the trailing edge of its negative-going output signal is differentiated to produce a positive signal that is transmitted over the line CSY2 and synchronized by the pulse synchronizcr 147 to provide a synchronized (four microsecond) pulse transmitted over a line CSYZS.

It should be noted that the on-line, olf-line operation control illustrated is the same as that employed in the aforementioned copending application, Serial No. 839,- 836, but that the on-line, off-line control illustrated in the aforesaid copending application led concurrently herewith may also be employed as fully illustrated therein. It should be further noted that the flip-Hops, AND- gates, monostable multivibrators, encoder and decoder are conventional circuits known in the art and may be the same as the corresponding circuits disclosed in the aforesaid copending application, Serial No. 839,836, or the copending application tiled concurrently herewith. It should be noted further that the flip-flops and monostable multivibrators are synchronized circuits in that each requires a clock pulse from a central source of clock pulses (not shown) which occur every four microseconds. And

tinally, it should be noted that the encoder 100 and decoder 170 are provided to enable the sorter control unit of FIG. 3 to be employed for on-line operation as well as off-line operation. Since a pocket decision is to be made is accordance with the present invention only during off-line operation, it should be recognized that in practicing the present invention only oft-line the encoder 100 and decoder 107 may be eliminated by providing ten iiip-iiops in both the input and output register storing digit signals and transmitting pocket decision signals, The lines PDO to PD9 would then be coupled to the output register by gates instead of the gated decoder 170.

DIGIT AND CUE COUNTERS The four cue counters employed in the cue counting and field selecting section 110 illustrated in FIG. 8 are of a first type illustrated in FIG. 5 and a second type illustrated in FIG. 6 which utilize synchronized iiip-iiops. Similarly, the digit counter employed in the digit counting and selecting section 111 illustrated in FIG. 9 is a binary counter employing synchronized tiipops as shown in FIG. 7. In order to simplify the disclosure and understanding of the present invention, the clock pulse synchronizing network has not been illustrated.

Before describing the cue counters with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 and the digit counter with reference to FIG. 7, and then describing with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 the manner in which the plugb-oard 175 may be employed to define fields and digits which may be selected for sorting through the Field Select and Digit Select pushbutton switches, it is pointed out that a signal RSR transmitted over the line S3 from the relay K1 (FIG. 1) is inverted by an inverter 190 and transmitted over a line 191 as a signal IltSlt to the cue counting and field selecting t section 110 and the digit counting and selecting section 111 as shown in FIG. 3. While the relay K1 is de-energized, the signal RSR transmitted over the conductor 53 is negative and the signal RSR conducted over the line 191 is positive so that the four counters and the digit counter are continuously reset until the switch S1 (FIG. 1) is closed to apply power to the sorter at which time the signal RSR conducted over the line 53 is positive and the signal IHSR transmitted over the conductor 191 is negative, thereby interrupting the continual resetting of the counters while the sorter is in operation. In that manner it is assured that the counters are reset when sorting is begun.

It is also pointed iout that as the digits are read in sequence on a given document, the corresponding digit signals transmitted over the lines CDO to CD9 to the sorter control unit are transmitted through an OR-gate 189 such that a given digit signal is transmitted to the digit counting and selecting section 111 over a line D09. The lines CDO to CD9 are shown in FIG. 3 passing through the encoder 100 to the OR-gate 189 to provide a grid of conductors to which encoding diodes are connected as disclosed in the aforesaid copending application Serial No. 839,836, and the aforesaid copending application Serial No. 149,120. Although a diode encoder is suggested, other types of encoders may be advantageously employed.

Finally, before describing the digit and cue counters, it is well to emphasize that the plugboard 175 connected to the cue counting and field selecting section 110 by a group of conductors represented in FIG. 3 by a cable 195 and to the digit counting and selecting section 111 by a group of conductors represented by a cable 196 is employed in accordance with the present invention to deiine fields and digit positions within fields which may be selected for sorting. Once defined by connectors between hubs on the plugboard 175 and hubs in the cue counting and field selecting section 110 and the digit counting and selecting section 111, the field and digit position selected for sorting documents are actually specified by actuating a Field Select pushbutton switch and a Digit Select pushbutton switch.

CUE COUNTING AND FIELD SELECTING As a given document is read, such as the document illustrated in FIG. 2a, the distinct cue symbols 81 to 89 are counted by four separate cue counters such as the one illustrated in FIG. 5. The cue counter for the Q1 (transit) symbol illustrated in FIG. 5 is the same as the cue counters employed for the Q2 (amount) and the Q3 (on-us") symbols, respectively, the only diiference being that each counter is connected to the respective Q1, Q2 and Q3 output terminals of the character reader Z2 (FIG. 1). Accordingly, only the operation of the Qi (transit) symbol counter illustrated in FIG. 5 is described, the operation of the Q2 and Q3 counters being the same.

As the two Q1 (transit) number symbols 85 and 87 on the sample document illustrated in FIG. 2a are read, two successive positive pulses are applied to an input conductor Q1 of the counter to enable an AND-gate 400. Four to eight microseconds later, during the continued presence of a signal on the conductor Q1, a synchronizing signal CSP on a conductor 197 from a ip-op CSP illustrated in FIG. 3 is applied to the set control terminal of the first stage QlA of the counter through an enabled AND-gate 402. A clock pulse which occurs in time coincidence with the synchronizing signal CSP on the conductor 196 sets the first stage Q1. The true output terminal of the first stage QlA enables an AND-gate 403 and the false output terminal disables the AND-gate 402. Thereafter, upon the occurrence of the next pulse on the conductor Q1 after the symbol 87 on the document illustrated in FIG. 2a is read, the AND-gate 403 transmits an enabling +6-volt signal to the set control terminal of the second stage Q1B, thereby causing it to be set. Since no other Ql (transit) symbol appears on the document of FIG. 2a, the Q1 (transit) counter remains at the count of two until a signal occurs on the conductor CSYIS in response to the next document to be read and is transmitted through an OR-gate 405 and the OR-gate 404.

The signal CSP on the conductor 197, which may be referred to as a count-synchronizing pulse, is of four microseconds duration. It is derived from the fiip-iiop CSP in FIG. 3 in response to any digit signal on the line D0-9 or any cue signal on the line QOR since both of the lines D0-9 and QOR are coupled by an OR-gate 193 to a monostable multivibrator YCP which, upon being triggered applies a positive signal to the set control terminal of a i'lip-iiop DCC and through an enabled AND- gate 194 to the set control terminal of a flip-flop CSP, whereupon both tlip-ops are set by the next clock pulse applied to them simultaneously. The true output terminal of the flip-flop CSP is connected by the line 197 to the digit and cue counters and to the reset control terminal of the flip-flop CSP so that the next clock pulse resets it. In that manner, the signal CSP on the line 197 has a four microsecond duration.

The monostable multivibrator YCP has an unstable period of 500 microseconds and therefore delivers a negative signal which` is inverted to a positive signal by an inverter 19S to provide a positive signal to the set control terminal of the ip-fiop DCC for 500 microseconds. After the monostable multivibrator YCP recovers to its stable state, it delivers a positive signal to the inverter 198. The inverter includes an input, emitter-follower stage as represented symbolically by a half circle preceding the inverting amplifier stage represented by the triangle as described in the aforesaid copending application filed concurrently herewith. The output of the emitterfollower is a positive signal while the monostable multivibrator YCP is delivering a positive signal. Accordingly, the next clock pulse alter the monostable multivibrator YCP recovers resets the ip-op DCC. In that manner,

13 the count-synchronizing pulse generating circuit is reset in time to generate another four microsecond pulse in respone to a digit or cue symbol read.

Referring again to the diagram of FIG. 5, the binary configuration for the counts of one and two are presented at output terminals QIA, QIB and mi?. Four AND-gates 411, 412, 413 and 414 are connected to the output terminals of the transit counter as illustrated in FIG. 8 to decode the respective count contigurations of zero, one, two and three. Count decoding AND-gates 415 to 418 and 419 to 423 are connected to the Q2 and Q3 counters as illustrated in FIG. 8 to similarly decode the respective Q2 and Q3 count configurations of zero, one, two and three. Only the flip-flops of the counters Q1, Q2 and Q3 are illustrated in FIG. 8; their interconnections are the same as illustrated for the Q1 counter in FIG. 5.

From the foregoing it may be seen that the Q1, Q2 and Q3 counters may each count only from 0 to 3 since only two stages are provided for each counter. Accordingly, the maximum number of Q1, Q2 and Q3 which may be employed on a document without confusion is three. the particular bank application of the illustrative embodiment of the system, a maximum count of three is suliicient for the symbols Q1, Q2 and Q3. However, if other commercial applications require more than three Q1, Q2 and Q3 symbols to be employed on a given document, additional stages may be provided for the Q1, Q2 and Q3 counters together with additional count-decoding AND-gates.

In order to assure that the Q1 counter is reset to the count conguration of zero when the sorter is initially turned on, a signal IRSR from the inverter 190 (FIG. 3) is applied to the OR-gate 405 over the conductor 191 so that before the relay K1 (FIG. I) is closed to apply power to the sorter, a k6-volt signal is transmitted through the OR-gates 404 and 405 to continually reset the counter. When the relay K1 is energized, and a positive signal is applied to the inverter 190, a negative signal is applied to the OR-gate 405, thereby discontinuing the continual resetting of the Q1 counter which is thereafter reset only by a positive pulse on the conductor CSYIS as the reading operation of each document is initiated until the switch S1 (FIG. l) is opened and power is disconnected from the sorter.

The counting sequence of the Q1 counter is as follows:

The counting sequence for the Q2 and Q3 counters is the same as for the Q1 counter.

The operation of the Q4 counter illustrated in FIG. 6 Q1, Q2 and Q3 counters. As the Iirst Q4 (hyphen) symbol 84 on the sample document illustrated in FIG. 2a is read, the signal derived from it is employed to gate a signal CSP on the conductor 197 through an AND-gate 430 and an AND-gate 432 to cause the first stage Q4A of the Q4 counter to be set. When the `first stage Q4A is set, AND-gates 433 and 436 are enabled so that when the second Q4 (hyphen) symbol 86 is read from the sample document illustrated in FIG. 2a, the second stage Q4B is set and the first stage Q4A is reset. Only two Q4 (hyphen) symbols are illustrated on the document in FIG. 2a; however, if more than two Q4 symbols are employed, the third Q4 symbol would cause the rst stage Q4A to be set. When both stages Q4A and Q4B are set, an AND-gate 434 is enabled. Thereafter, when the fourth Q4 (hyphen) symbol is read, the third stage Q4C is set and the second stage Q4B is reset through the OR-gate also reset by the fourth Q4 gate 436 which is enabled by counting sequence of the Q4 lows:

Q4A Q4B Q4C Count fSYiS (l l D ZOrO, First t 1 (l 0 one. Second Q4. D 1 0 two. 'lltirrl Q4 l l (l three. Fourth (M 0 O 1 four. Q1, Q9, os er osriso o i n l zero,

A positive signal on the conductor CSYIS or a signal on the conductor 191 may reset the Q4 counter through an OR-gate 439 in a manner similar to the resetting of the Q1, Q2 and Q3 counters. In addition, signals Ql-CSP, Q2-CSP or Q3-CSP are applied to the OR-gate 439 from the Q1, Q2 and Q3 counters over con- 186 to 188 in order that the Q4 counter may be reset each time a Q1, Q2 or Q3 symbol is counted by the respective counters Q1, Q2 and Q3. For example, when a Q1 symbol is read, a signal Q1CSP is transmitted by the AND-gate 400 (FIG. 5) over the conductor 186 to the OR-gate 439 (FIG. 6). Thus, in order for the Q4 counter to count in a sequential manner from zero to four, four Q4 symbols must follow each other on a given document; i.e., a Q1, Q2 or Q3 symbol must not appear between successive Q4 symbols. In the event that a Q1, Q?. or Q3 symbol does appear, the Q4 counter is reset to zero. Accordingly, the Q4 (hyphen) symbol may be or close a major field.

It should be noted that since the Q4 counter is provided with three stagcs, it may count a maximum of seven Q4 symbols, but in the illustrative embodiment only ve decoding AND-gates 441 to 445 are connected to it as illustrated in FIG. 8 to decode only the count configurations of zero, one, two, three and four. If a particular application requires utilization of more than four Q4 symbols within a given major field, additional cue-count Q1 to Q3 symbols and, it' necessary, the decoding AND-gates 441 to 445 for the Q4 symbol.

Twelve AND-gates 451 to 462 illustrated in FIG. 8 are provided together with corresponding switches KFI to KF12 to select a particular one of the twelve possible plugboard connections between hubs connected to the cue-count decoding AND- gates 411 to 422 and i441 to 44S and the field-selecting AND-gates 451 to 462. Thus, to select a given major or minor field for sequencing, the correct cue-count which denes that field is connected to a particular AND-gate such as the AND-gate 456 having its associated switch KFG actuated from the position shown to a second position to provide an enabling -l--volt potential to the AND- gate 456. For example, if the third field 0n the sample document illustrated in FIG. 2c is the desired field, the cue-count congurations which identify the third field Accordingly, the output terminal of the AND-gate 420 is connected to an input terminal of the AND-gate 456 by a connector between a hub 6F and a hub 6A. The cue symbol following the third field is a Q4 (hyphen) symbol; therefore, to isolate the third field from the other fields, both major and minor, which follow it, the Q4 count of zeno decoded by the AND-gate 441 is connected to an input terminal of the AND-gate 456 by a connector between a hub 3G and a hub 6C. It should be noted that the Q1 (transit) symbol preceding the fifth field will reset the Q4 (hyphen) counter to 0 and thereby enable the fifth field to oe selected again as though it were the third field. Therefore, the Q1 (hyphen) count of zero decoded by the AND-gate 411 must also be connected to the AND-gate 456 by a connector between hubs 3D and 6B to uniquely define the third field. Having thus defined the third field, the operator may select it for sorting by actuating the switch KF6 to the position which will provide a |6volt enabling potential to the AND-gate 456.

The fields of the sample document illustrated in FIG. 2a are separated into the following major fields: The amount field for the dollar amount ($1959.00); the onus field for the branch number (1238), the account number (4957) and the transaction code (346); the transit number field for the combined routing symbol (1234) and transit number (7890) of the drawee blank; and ari auxiliary on-us field permitted on documents having sufficient length for the discretionary use of the drawee bank. The corresponding major fields in the sample document illustrated in FIG. 2b have been separated into minor fields one to seven. In selecting a field for sorting by plugboard programming, minor field definitions are employed because, as is explained more fully hereinafter, a digit counter is employed tio locate selected digits within the field selected for sorting and the digit counter is reset by a signi-il derived from any symbol Qi, Q2, Q3 or Q4.

Assuming that the third field is selected for sorting by the plugboard connections between the cue-count decoding AND-gates 411 to 422 and 441 to 44S and the fieldselecting AND-gate 456, th: field selected is located when a given document is read by counting the cue symbols until the appropriate cue-count configuration is reached. At that moment, the AND-gate 456 is enabled and a +6- volt signal is translated through an OR-gate 479 and an inverter 471 to cause a flip-flop FLD to be set and a signal to be transmitted over a conductor FLD indicating that the selected field has been located.

The hubs provided for the plugboard connections may be arranged on the plugboard 17S (FIG. 3) in rows 1 through l2 and columns A through H. By arranging the hubs in rows and columns, a given hub may be uniquely defined by specifying its row and column. For instance, the hub 3D connected to the AND-gate 411 may be coupled to the hub 6B connected to the AND-gate 456 by connecting the hub in the third row of column D to the hub in the sixth row of column B.

It should be noted that the twelve Field Select pushbutton switches KFI to KF12 (FIG. S) may be employed to select fields in accordance with the cue-count decoding configuration connected to their associated AND-gates 451 to 462 so that it is possible to select any one of twelve fields in accord with a particular plugboard program in such a manner that the first switch KFl need not necessarily be employed to select the first field. For instance, in the foregoing example illustrated in FIG. 8, the third field was selected by actuating the sixth switch KFG after the appropriate cue-count decoding AND-gates were connected to the AND-gate `456. Thus, the twelve AND-gates 451 to 462 allow a maximum of twelve field selecting configurations to be plugged to the field-selecting AND-gates 451 to 462. Whenever documents are to be sorted on a particular field, the related field-select switch is actuated.

As a further example, suppose it is desired to sort within field 6 of the document illustrated in FlG. 2b. 1t is observed that a Q4 symbol 86 precedes the field 6 but a Q4 symbol 84 also precedes the field 4 so that a activite ffii Q4 symbol cannot be used alone to uniquely define the field 6. It is further observed that a Q1 symbol 85' precedes the field 6 so that when the second Q4 symbol 86' is read, the Q1 counter will be at the count of one. Since either a Q1, Q2 or Q3 symbol resets the Q4 counter, the Q4 counter will be reset to zero when the Q1 symbol 85' is read and counted by the Q1 counter. Accordingly, the cue-count configuration which uniquely defines the sixth field is a Q1 count of one and a Q4 count of one which is reached when the Q4 symbol 86 is read. Therefore, to define the sixth field for selection by plugboard connections to a field-selecting AND-gate, such as the AND-gate 451 arbitrarily selected, the cue-count configuration Q1=1 and Q4=1 is connected as shown in FIG. 8.

From the foregoing it may be readily appreciated that the cue-counting and field-selecting section illustrated in FIG. 8 enables as many as twelve cue-count configurations to be connected to AND-gates which may be selectively enabled by pushbutton switches KFI to KFlZ and that each cue-count configuration may be employed to uniquely define any major or minor field on a document of any format and that the fields are defined solely by the cuecount configurations of the four cue counters and are selected by the switches KFl to KFIZ. It should be further noted that, with reference to the illustrated document in FIG. 2b, the fields are defined as digit positions between cue symbols without regard to the information which the digits represent in order that any group of digit positions between cue symbols may be selected for sorting. That is of particular advantage when, for example, sorting is to be accomplished in accord with digit positions within the on-us information field.

Digit Counting and Selecting During an off-line mode of sorting documents, the documents may be sequenced in a normal manner by sorting on successive digit positions starting with the lowest digit position of a field which may be selected in the manner just described with reference to FIG. 8. Each field of digits between cue symbols may contain as many as ten digits. After the field has been defined by the plugboard connections and selected by actuation of the appropriate Field Select switch, it is located in the manner just described.

Any digit position within the selected field may be selected for sorting by selective actuation of Digit Select pushbutton switches KDl to KDlt) illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 9. For example, if the four documents illustrated in FIGS. 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d are to be sequenced according to their account number, the documents are first sorted according to the number in the first digit position of the account number field. The first document illustrated in FlG. 2a contains the number 7 in that digit position so that it is deposited in the pocket Seven. rIhe second document illustrated in FIG. 2b is similarly deposited in the pocket Seven. The third and fourth documents, however, are deposited in the respective pockets One and Nine.

During the second sorting run, the second digit position is selected. For instance, to further sort the documents deposited in the pocket Seven during the first run, the second digit position of the account number field is examined and the first document illustrated in FIG. 2a is deposited in the pocket Five while the second document illustrated in FIG. 2b is deposited in the pocket Zero. During each subsequent sorting run, digit positions in successively higher orders are examined and the documents further sorted until all of the documents having a common account number have been deposited in a single pocket defined by the most significant digit of the account number.

A digit counter illustrated in FIG. 7 and represented by flip-Hops DGI and DG4 in FIG. 9 is provided for counting all of the digits in each minor field, i.e., the digits between two successive cue symbols. It should be noted that a signal on the conductor QOR connected to the OR-gate 171 in FIG. 3 to which signals on conductors Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 are applied resets the digit counter to zero as respective cue symbols on a given document are read. The digits sequentially read after a given cue symbol are counted by the digit counter and decoded by a group of count-decoding AND-gates 480 to 489 connected to the digit counter for decoding digitcount configurations of one to ten, respectively, and provide a +6-volt signal to respective digit-selecting AND- gates 49) to 499 only one of which is selected during a sorting run.

Selection of a digit position for sorting is accomplished through the pushbutton switches KD1 to KD1() connected to respective AND-gates 490 to 499. The output terminals of the digit-selecting AND-gates 490 to 499 are connected to an OR-gate 475 to set a flip-flop DGT through an AND-gate 476 when the digit position selected by one of the switches KD1 to KD1() is located, a digit is read therefrom and a synchronizing signal derived from a flip-flop SAD is applied to the AND-gate 476. The lijp-flop SAD is set for four microseconds via a flip-flop SPD eight microseconds after the flip-Hop CSP (FIG. 3) is set in order to assure that the cue and digit counters have settled before allowing the llip-iiop DGT to be set.

Thus, in the n-ormal off-line mode of operation, a digit position within a specified field is located by the cuecounting and field-selecting section illustrated in FIG. 8 and the digit-counting and selecting section illustrated in FIG. 9. When a field specilied has `been located and the count configuration of the digit counter corresponds to the digit position selected by the actuated one of the digitselecting pushbutton switches KD1 to KDll), the AND- gate 174 (FIG. 3) is enabled to transmit a -l--volt signal to set the character-decision flip-flop CHN upon the occurrence of a sampling pulse SAM from the flip-dop SAM (FIG. 9) which occurs three clock periods (12 microseconds) after the selected digit is read and one clock period (four microseconds) after a SAD signal is transmitted through the enabled AND-gate 476 in FIG. 9 to set the flip-flop DGT. The flip-flop DGT is reset 500 microseconds after the monostable multivibrator YCP is triggered by the selected digit when a positive signal is transmitted over a line 199 to the flip-Hop DGT.

The operation of the digit counter will now be described with reference to the logic diagram of FIG. 7. As the digits in a lie-ld are read, corresponding CDO to CD9 signals are transmitted from the character reader 2.2 (FIG. l) to the OR-gate 189 (FIG. 3). The output signal of the OR-gate 189 is transmitted over the conductor Dlt-9 to the digit counter (FIG. 7) so that as each digit is read, the digit counter is incremented by one. The signal on the conductor D-9 is coupled to AND- gates 477 and 478 to enable them to transmit synchronizing pulses CSP received over a conductor 197 flip-dop CSP (FIG. 3).

The digit counter operates as a conventional binary counter; accordingly, a detailed description of its operation is not provided herein. It is suicient to understand that it will count `in response to as many as ten digits according to the following table: X12 DG4 DGB DG2 DGl Count f4) (E) (l) CSYIS or QOR 0 D o 0 zero. First Digit 0 (i 0 l one. Second Digit 0 0 1 0 two. Third Digit... D 0 1 1 three. Fourth Digit 0 1 0 0 tour. Fifth Digi 0 1 U 1 five. Sixth Digit.. 0 l 1 (I six. Seventh Digit. l) 1 1 l seven. Eighth Digit l 0 l) 0 eight. Ninth Digit. l 0 l) l nine. Tenth Digit. i 0 1 0 ten. QOR or CSYlS D 0 0 0 zero.

It should be noted that the digit counter is reset through an OR-gate 479 by each cue symbol read in response to a signal QOR derived from the OR-gate i171 (FIG. 3). 'I'he digit counter is also initially reset by a signal transmitted over the conductor CSYIS to assure that the digit counter is reset when the reading of each document is initiated. A signal IRSR is transmitted over the conductor 191 for continually resetting the digit counter through the OR-gate 479 until the relay K1 is energized to provide a signal RSR on the conductor 53 which provides a signal IRSR on the conductor 191 through the inverter (FIG. 3).

SUMMARY OF OPERATION When the sorter is being operated off-line, the sorter control unit controls the entire sorting process based upon plugboard wiring, operator control Field and Digit Select switch settings, and the information read from the documents being processed. In the on-line mode, the sorter control unit transmits the information read from each document to the computer for processing and developing a pocket decision. The sorter control unit receives the pocket decision command executed by the computer for each document and, at the appropriate time stores this information in the output register of the sorter control unit. Certain error checking functions are performed in both the off-line and on-line mode of operation as disclosed and described in the aforesaid copending patent application Serial No. 149,120.

In general, the purpose of olf-line sorting is to sequence a group of documents, normally in ascending numeric order, based upon the information imprinted in one or more fields of each document. In addition, there is often a need to segregate the documents into a number of subgroups based upon information imprinted on the documents. Normal olf-line sorting is performed by sorting on successive digits from the least significant to the most significant, within one or more fields imprinted on the documents. The operator selects the field within which he wishes to sort in a given sorting pass by depressing the appropriate switches. There are twelve Field Select switches for selection of the eld within which it is desired to sort, and there are ten Digit Select switches for selection of the digit position, within the selected field, on which it is desired to sort.

The most desirable arrangement of the data fields on magnetically encoded documents will vary from application to application. For this reason, extreme exibility is provided according to the present invention so that the operator may organize the encoded information in the manner most suited to his needs. The information field selected for sorting by each of the twelve Field Select switches is defined `by the operator by appropriate plugboard wiring. It is not necessary, of course, that all of the Field Select switches be utilized to define elds; only the switches needed to allow sorting within the desired document fields are so utilized. Each field to be selected by a Field Select switch is defined by specifying the cue symbol count which appears to the right of the field on each document. Means are provided to accommodate the fact that certain cue symbols may appear on each document more than once, and the further complicating :factor that certain cue symbols may appear an unpredictable number of times.

Four electronic counters within the sorter control unit count the number of cue symbols read from each document. The counters associated with the Q1, Q2 and Q3 symbols each have the capacity to count up to three of the respective symbols from a given document. The Q4 symbol counter has the capacity to count up to four Q4 (hyphen) symbols; it resets to zero each time one of the other three cue symbols is read, The Q4 symbol is used for dening sub-fields within major fields designated by the other cue symbols.

All of the four counters are reset to zero before reading begins for each document. n the plugboard, each state of each counter is represented by a set of three common hubs. All three of the hubs in a set are electrically active when the counter to which they are internally connected is in the state which the set of hubs represents. For example, when the Q1 counter illustrated in FIG. has counted the Q1 (transit) symbol 85 on the sample document of FIG. 2a, the AND-gate 412 is enabled to produce a positive signal on the set of hubs 4D, 5D and 6D.

Associated with each Field Select switch is a set of three hubs on the plugboard. These hubs are used to define the field on the document within which sorting is to be done when the corresponding Field Select switch is depressed. Each field within which sorting is to be done is defined by wiring the appropriate cue counter hubs to the hubs corresponding to the switch which is desired to assign to that field as illustrated in FIG. 8 for the Field Select switches KFl and KF6. For eX- ample, assume documents with the format of FIG. 2b are to be sorted. In wiring the plugboard, provision is to be made to allow sorting on any field. For convenience, the Field Select switches KFI to KFG are to be assigned in the same order as the fields appear on the document, from right to left. The number of each field is shown in FIG. 2b. rThe table below lists the cue counter states required to define each field. The state shown for each field is wired to the hubs of the Field Select switch with the same number as the field.

Counter States To define Field 1 as the field to be sorted when Field Select switch KFl is depressed, a wire is plugged from the innermost hub 4E of the Q2 (amount) symbol counter to one of the hubs in the set 1A, 1B and 1C connected to the field defining AND-gate 451. From the foregoing table it is seen that a single plugboard connection is sufficient to uniquely define the Field 1 since the Q2 counter is at the state representing a count of one only while the Field is being read. The other fields are defined by wiring two or three counter states, shown opposite each, to the hubs of the field selecting AND-gate assigned to the field. `For example, it is seen by inspection of the foregoing table that the cue count configuration of the Q1, Q3 and Q4 counters may be uniquely employed to define the Field 3 by connecting hubs 1D, 4F and 1G to hubs 3A, 3B and 3C in FIG. 8. In some instances, only two cue counters need be employed to define a field, such as the Field Z which may be uniquely defined by the cue count configuration of the Q1 and Q2 counters in the present example.

The digit counter within the sorter control unit counts the number of digits within each field as the digits are read from right to left. No plugboard wiring is required to define the Digit Select switches KDl to KD (FIG. 9). Depression of a. given Digit Select switch causes sorting to occur on the corresponding digit position (counting from right to left) within the field selected by the Field Select switch depressed. The digit counter is reset to zero each time a cue symbol is read.

Having defined and selected a given field, the digits within that field are counted and, when the digit selected for sorting within that field is located by counting, the AND-gate 174 (FIG. 3) is enabled to set the character decision ip-fiop CHN. The inverse biquinary code of that digit is then locked in the input register and retained therein until a `positive signal is transmitted over the line CSYZS, whereupon the content of the input register is transferred into the output register 165. Approximately sixty-two milliseconds later, a positive signal on the line CSY3 triggers the monostable multivibrator YRO, therebyr to gate the content of the output register 165 through the decoder 170 and produce a pocket decision signal on the line of the group of lines PDf) to PD9 which corresponds to the digit read from the selected digit position in the selected field.

A pocket decision signal for the special-sort pocket SSP is transmitted from the decoder via a line 29' in a similar manner but is received as a code 1110 either from the computer during on-line sorting or from special decision making logic networks (not shown) during off-line sorting as described by the aforesaid Patent Application Serial No. 839,836 or the aforesaid patent application filed concurrently herewith. The 'aforesaid copending application filed concurrently herewith may also be referred to for a complete description of a fiexible document sorting system having many features, including a unique system for selecting a pluraity of digits on a given document from a single field or a plurality of fields to cull the document from a stack of documents being sorted if the document contains a specified configuration digit in the selected digit position.

To illustrate by a simple example the fiexibility of a document sorting system according to the present invention, assume that a stack of intermixed transit documents, such as the documents in FIGS. 2a to 2d, are to be sorted, some having no dollar amount field present. By referring to the foregoing table it may be seen that all fields, including the first and second, may be uniquely defined without utilizing the Q2. (amount) symbol counter since the cue count configuration for the remaining counters is distinct for all of the fields. Thus, by utilizing only the Q1, Q3 and Q4 counters, any given field may be defined and located for sorting intermixed documents, including those not having dollar amount fields.

To further illustrate the flexibility of a document sorting system according to the present invention, assume that documents similar to the document of FIG. 2b are to be sorted in field 7 and that some of the documents do not bear the symbol 83 and the field 3 of digits which precede the symbol 84. Under those circumstances, the Q3 (on-us) symbol count configuration which must be defined and detected is either Q3=1 or Q3:2. To define such configuration in the alternative in order to uniquely define the same field in doucments of two acceptable formats. an Oil-gate 471 in FIG. 8 may be employed. An inspection of the document of FIG. 2b reveals that the Q3Il count configuration uniquely defines the field 7 when the field 3, including the symbol 83', is absent', but to avoid sorting on the field 3 when it is present on a given document, a Ql (transit) symbol count configuration of two must also be specified. Accordingly, plugboard connections from hubs 4F and 7F to hubs 8K and SI connected to the OR-gate 471; from the hub 7D to the hub 7A; and from the hub 8H connected to the OR-gate 471 to the hub 7C uniquely define the field 7 through the AND-gate 457 for two alternative formats. Additional OR-gates and AND-gates may be provided for defining fields by cue count configurations in accordance with the present invention if intermixed formats presenting more cornpleX alternatives are to be sorted.

While the principles of the invention have now been made clear in an illustrative embodiment, there will be immediately obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications in structure, arrangement, proportions, the elements, materials, and components used in the practice of the invention, and otherwise, which are particularly adapted for specific environments and operating rcquirements, without departing from those principles. The appended claims are therefore intended to cover and 21 embrace any such modifications, within the limits only of the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a system for sorting documents, each document having data comprising characters recorded thereon and separated into fields `by arbitrarily selected ones of a plurality of distinct types of symbols, the combination comprising:

an apparatus having a plurality of pockets into which the documents are deposited as they are sorted in accord with la character read from a specified character position of a specified field of each document;

a mechanism for transporting the documents into proper pockets as they are read and sorted;

means for reading said characters and symbols in sequence to produce thereby electrical signals characteristic of said characters and symbols;

separate means for counting signals characteristic of each type of different ones of said symbols;

field identifying means selectively coupled to different one of said separate counting means for recognizing a predetermined combination of count configurations of said separate counting means, said predetermined count configuration uniquely defining said specified field;

means responsive to said electrical signals characteristic of said characters for locating said specified character position;

means responsive to said identifying field means and to said character position locating means for producing a sorting control signal;

and sorting means responsive to said sorting control signal for causing said transport mechanism to transport said given document into a proper pocket.

2. In a system for sorting documents, each document having data comprising characters recorded thereon and separated into fields by arbitrarily selected ones of a plurality of distinct types of symbols, the combination cornprising:

an apparatus having a plurality of pockets into which the documents are deposited as they are sorted in accord with a character read from a specified character position of a specified field of each document;

a mechanism for transporting the documents into proper pockets as they are sorted;

means for reading said characters and symbols in sequence thereby to produce electrical signals characteristic of said characters and symbols;

means for locating said specified field by recognizing electrical signal characteristics of given types of symbols associated with `given ones of the fields, including the field specified for Sorting, said means including separate means for counting the electrical signals characteristic of each different type of symbol, a decoding means for decoding the count configurations of said counting means and programming means for selecting a combination of count configurations of said counting means thereby to specify a field for sorting;

means responsive to said electrical signals characteristic of said characters for locating said specified character position;

means responsive to said specified field locating means and to said character position locating means for producing a sorting control signal;

and sorting means responsive to said sorting control signal for causing said transport mechanism to transport said given document into a proper pocket.

3. ln a system for sorting documents, each document having data comprising characters recorded thereon and separated into fields by arbitrarily selected ones of a plurality of distinct types of symbols, the combination comprising:

an apparatus having a plurality of pockets into which documents are deposited as they are sorted in accord with a character read from a specified character position of a specified field of each document;

a mechanism for transporting documents into proper pockets as they are sorted;

means for reading said characters and symbols in sequence to produce thereby electrical signals char- .acteristic of said characters `and symbols;

a plurality of means for counting said electrical signals characteristic of symbols on a given document, one counting means for each distinct type of symbol;

means responsive to said plurality of counting means for locating said specified field;

means responsive to said electrical signals characteristic of said characters for locating said specified character position;

means responsive to said specified field locating means and to said character position locating means for producing a sorting control signal;

and sorting means responsive to said sorting control signal for causing said transport mechanism to transport said given document into a proper pocket.

4. In a system for sorting documents, each document having data comprising characters recorded thereon and separated into fields by arbitrarily selected ones of a plurality of distinct types of symbols, the combination comprising:

an apparatus having a plurality of pockets into which documents are deposited as they are sorted in accord with a character read from a specified character position of a specified field of each document;

a mechanism for transporting documents into proper pockets as they `are sorted;

means for reading said characters and symbols in sequence thereby to produce electrical signals characteristic of said characters and symbols;

a plurality of means for counting said electrical signals characteristic of symbols on a given document, one counting means for each distinct type of symbol;

means for selectively defining said specified field in terms of the count configuration of selected ones of said plurality of counting means when the fields preceding the specified field have been read;

field locating means coupled to said field defining means for producing a control signal indicating that the specified field has been located when the field-defining-count configuration of said selected ones of said plurality of counting means is reached in response to corresponding types of symbols read and counted by the selected ones of said plurality of counting means;

means responsive to said electrical signals characteristic of said characters `for locating said specified character position;

means responsive to said control signal produced by said field locating means and to said character position locating means for producing a sorting control signal;

and sorting means responsive to said sorting control signal for causing said transport mechanism to transport said given document into a proper pocket.

5. In a system for sorting documents, the combination as defined in claim 4 wherein said means for selectively defining said specified field comprising:

an AND-gate having a plurality of input terminals, at least one input terminal for each one of said plurality of counting means selected for defining said specified field;

means having n+1 output terminals coupled to each one of said plurality of counting means for presenting an output signal at output terminals l to n+1 for respective counts of zero to n, where n is an integer;

and means for selectively coupling to `an input terminal of said AND-gate one of said output terminals of each of said means coupled to each of Said plurality of counting means selected for defining said specified eld.

6. In a system for sorting documents, each document having data comprising characters recorded thereon and separated into fields by arbitrarily selected ones of a plurality of distinct types of symbols, the combination comprising:

an apparatus having a plurality of pockets into which documents are deposited as they `are sorted in accord with a character read from a specified character position of a specified lield of each document;

a mechanism for transporting documents into proper pockets as they are sorted;

means for reading said characters Vand symbols in sequence to produce thereby electrical signals characteristic of said characters and symbols;

a plurality of means for counting said electrical signals characteristic of symbols on a given document, one counting means for each distinct type of symbol;

means for selectively dening a plurality of fields to be specified for sorting in terms of the count coniigurations of selected ones of said plurality of counting means when the elds preceding the respective fields to be specified have been read;

means for selectively specifying a given one of the fields defined by said field defining means for sorting;

field locating means coupled to said field defining means for producing a control signal indicating that the specified field has been located when the field-defining-count configuration of said selected ones of said plurality of counting means is reached in response to corresponding types of symbols read and counted by the selected ones of said plurality of counting means;

means responsive to said electrical signals characteristic of said characters for locating said speciiied character position;

means responsive to said control signal produced by said iield locating means rand to said character position locating means for producing a sorting control signal;

and sorting means responsive to said sorting control signal for causing said transport mechanism to transport said given document into a proper pocket.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,994,428 D-aubendick Aug. l, 1961 

1. IN A SYSTEM FOR SORTING DOCUMENTS, EACH DOCUMENT HAVING DATA COMPRISING CHARACTERS RECORDED THEREON AND SEPARATED INTO FIELDS BY ARBITRARILY SELECTED ONES OF A PLURALITY OF DISTINCT TYPES OF SYMBOLS, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: AN APPARATUS HAVING A PLURALITY OF POCKETS INTO WHICH THE DOCUMENTS ARE DEPOSITED AS THEY ARE SORTED IN ACCORD WITH A CHARACTER READ FROM A SPECIFIED CHARACTER POSITION OF A SPECIFIED FIELD OF EACH DOCUMENT, A MECHANISM FOR TRANSPORTING THE DOCUMENTS INTO PROPER POCKETS AS THEY ARE READ AND SORTED; MEANS FOR READING SAID CHARACTERS AND SYMBOLS IN SEQUENCE TO PRODUCE THEREBY ELECTRICAL SIGNALS CHARACTERISTIC OF SAID CHARACTERS AND SYMBOLS; SEPARATE MEANS FOR COUNTING SIGNALS CHARACTERISTIC OF EACH TYPE OF DIFFERENT ONES OF SAID SYMBOLS; FIELD IDENTIFYING MEANS SELECTIVELY COUPLED TO DIFFERENT ONE OF SAID SEPARATE COUNTING MEANS FOR RECOGNIZING 